WASHINGTON, D.C. — When it was revealed that Amazon was selling a line of infant and children’s clothing featuring t-shirts that read “Daddy’s Little Slut,” NOW and other groups called on the e-commerce giant to withdraw the product from the site immediately.
This shirt is gone now, but the problem remains. Marketing products designed to promote the sexualization of children perpetuates a culture that demeans women and girls, damages their self-worth, promotes and condones rape culture and treats sexualization of children as something “cute” that unscrupulous marketers can exploit.
Amazon makes it easy for misogynist vendors to sell their products online, providing an ecosystem of templates, images and algorithms that infect the marketplace. There are plenty of equally disgusting products still for sale on Amazon. This is no laughing matter and they must do better, we demand it.
On Cyber Monday, NOW is calling on merchants such as Amazon to pay closer attention to the messages they sanction. They must develop enforceable standards that deny these merchants of shame free reign. We also encourage our hundreds and thousands of members and supporters to shop local and shop feminist.
This holiday season, we urge shoppers to be more conscious consumers and to tell these online merchants they must do better, NOW.